So much for my good luck. I have a Miller Big 40 welder with a Continental F163 engine I got for cheap a few years ago from a trailer shop that rarely used it. The trailer shop wanted to rent/borrow it for a small job so I got it running and welding great. I burned a couple rods and made sure everything worked properly. Went to pick it up Monday and made sure it started right up. Trailer shop tried it out before they headed out and everything was good. Got to the job and it worked great at first but then had no weld output. They called me and had tried everything I could think of. I drove to their shop and they brought the welder back. It had started to rain a bit anyway. We started the welder and saw it had no arc but also would only run on full choke. One of the hoses on an inline fuel filter had come loose and/or cracked. Not enough to drip but loose enough you could turn the hose. Couldn't tighten the clamp anymore. I read online that that can cause a lean condition and require full choke to compensate. Just wondering if anyone on here has had a similar issue or could confirm a loose fuel hose could cause an engine to need full choke to run? I'm going to take it to a welder repair shop but hoping I can fix the engine issue myself and save a little money.
Probably just some crud in the main jet which needs choke to increase vacuum to help pull fuel past it.
F163 Conti should be a flathead with updraft carb. Use a can of carb cleaner and spray manifold and carb, looking for vacuum leaks. 14 to 1 fuel ratio, using the choke richens mixture. So either the carb has a issue or it's sucking air else wear. * The old ford 8N tractors was a prime example of a lean condition involving valve guides. Ford years ago used a removeable two piece valve guide. Those were known to wear the valve stems at point of the guide half's mating area. The indication was to run, the choke had to be pulled about half way out to compensate for crankcase air being pulled past valve guides. Ford later used one piece guides.
It's easy to break vacuum and suck air instead of fuel with old fuel lines. You'll never see a drip but it will suck air instead of fuel. Not sure if the fuel tank is above the carb or not or if there is a lift pump but agree will all the above. Clean out the jets and replace hoses is a good first start. Good news is the engine runs on full choke so it's pointing pretty hard to a fuel delivery issue...not spark or air.
I have a Hobart portable welder that when it gets hot it loses fuel pressure and will die unless at full choke. I put a little clickity clackity 12v fuel pump in line that the rancher had in his shop, in a hurry to finish a job in the middle of BFE. Been working great like that for 17 years now.
Carbs only operate on pressurized fuel delivery controlled by needle/seat & float in first phase. Idle and part throttle are vacuum controlled second phase. Vacuum has no effect on first phase, dealing with carb by it's self. If pump is sucking air it's running out of fuel. That is known as "vapor lock", common with poor fuel line routing, and diaphragm pumps of years past. Hence the Y block Ford with a fuel line looking like a porcupine with all the clothes pins attached.
Thinking more about it, I'm leaning on Truck Shop's analysis. Maybe you have multiple things going on but follow Truck Shop on this one...
Update. I put a new inline filter on with tight connections. Still would only run with choke on but would run at a little over half choke after warmed up. I took the drain plug out of the carb to see if any crap came out. Looked like clear gas so put it back in. Started it back up and it would run without the choke but coughed a little when revving up. I flipped the idler off a few times to let it rev up and it's running like it should now without choke. Yeah, one problem fixed! I think a little dirt may have dislodged when I took the drain plug out. Taking it to a welder repair shop to get the no weld problem figured out. Hopefully it's something simple. Once I get it back I'm going to put a new fuel line on with a shut off valve. It's a pain just changing the filter with the gas flowing. You need 3 hands. One just to block the fuel line.
Draining let needle/seat drop/open and let what ever tiny particle through that might have been blocking seat.
It sounds to me like you need to break down the carb and clean it. Fact, in order to make a carb engine run by applying choke means the main jet is clogged, plain and simple. Could be from debris, could also be ethanol poisoning, at least that's what I call it, ethanol murders small engine carburetors. As for the weld output, I don't know much about the big 40, but for years Miller has used a rotating field design for their machines. A field winding has to be excited to create a magnetic field, and since it's rotating, this requires using carbon brushes at a slip ring mounted on the shaft of the rotating field. My point, whenever a Miller doesn't have weld or generator output, the first thing to look at is the brush holder at the slip ring of the rotating field. If those carbon brushes are worn out, no exciting the field, no output.
Ethanol Poisoning! I like that terminology and hate that stuff! Do not know much about the Big 40 as well but I thought they had a Pinto engine in them. As far as the brush area maybe similar to a SA200. Take the brush cover off. lift the brushes a bit and work some emery cloth in there. Old machine that has been in the barn for 15 years will lay a 1/4 - 7018 like glass.
Just varnished, main jet is removeable without disassembly, typical of down drafts. * https://www.gtgravelyparts.com/aluminum-carburetors
Just varnished? I would say yes, if it's only seen 100% gas. But ethanol, that's not varnish. I'm not a scientist, but I think, and it's just my wild arse opinion, ethanol gas in a carb engine, unless it's used daily and replenished frequently, I think the ethanol sugars break down and become solids again, which clogs the fine passages in a carb jet that even solvents can break loose. I've yet to find a solvent that can clean ethanol residue.
Being that this a old welder and has had a lifetime of setting, and more than likely sat with regular gas years back, it's probably varnished. It's a model that dates back to 1971.
It was welding so don't think it lost residual magnetism. I'm taking it to a shop that is pretty much the go to shop for engine drive welders especially SA200's but there are a lot of Big 40's out there too. As far as the engine we don't have a lot of ethanol in the gas in Alberta. The machine sat for a long time only used occasionally as a powerplant when the power went out. Before I agreed to buy it I made sure it ran and worked. The gas tank was bone dry which I think was a good thing. Put some fresh gas in and it started right up and ran like it been running the day before. Had to tighten a screw on the idler but it welded and idled up like it's supposed to. I did put some Seafoam in the gas tank. That was 2 or 3 years ago. I got a battery and put some fresh gas in last Friday. It would only run for several seconds on starting fluid so I figured it wasn't getting fuel. I got a bigger Jerry can of gas but first I blew through the fuel line at the inline filter. After that it started right up and ran and welded great. I brought it to the trailer shop. They even tried it out before heading to the job. It quit welding during a weld. They brought it back to the shop and that's when I discovered it would only run with the choke on and one of rubber fuel lines on the filter was loose. I picked up a new inline filter and got all the hoses tight. I started it and could get it to run at about 5/8 choke. Then I took the drain bolt out for a couple seconds to look for crap in the float bowl. Looked pretty clear so put the bolt back in. Then after running it and playing around with the choke and letting it rev up several times with the idler switch I got it to run good without the choke. I'm thinking Truck Shop is correct the needle dropped and what ever tiny bit of crap was plugging the jet came out. I can ask them at the repair shop to look at the carb but if it doesn't act up might not need anything else done. I'm hoping the welding issue isn't anything too serious or expensive to fix.
If the motor has flexible fuel lines here is an example of what gas with ethanol can do to them. This is what I dealt with recently. The line is completely plugged with a disintegrated liner of supposedly ethanol resistant hose.
Whether we like it or not, pretty much all plastic and rubber based products will change over time due to material degradation. Adding in exposure to heat, oils, fuels, solvents, UV, or constant flexing/vibration just greatly accelerates the degradation. Anytime I hear something is "resistant" to something, I just hear "it's a temporary solution". @Tinkerer Great pics showing how a hose can be fubar'd internally when the exterior still looks good.
What are you guys using for clear fuel line, that’s diesel rated? I have clear fuel line, for testing but haven’t found any that will hold up for more than a few months. Would mind putting in some clear line permanently.
What brand of hose? and how long had it set or was it used regularly? How old? Many variables--so best solution if a going to set for extended period of time run the system dry or drain it.
I gotta ask why? Would an inline glass indicator fit the need instead?
Tried it again today and ran perfect. Flipped the switch to high idle and no burping or hesitation at all even even when it only ran for 20 seconds.
I seemed to have to flash the old miller on the service truck I was using back in the day, don't know why it would not hold the magnetism. Either a crusty mess carburetor, or fuel pump/ restriction and its not filling it all the way.
There could have been crap in rubber fuel line (that came loose) after the inline filter. That would also explain why it would only run on starting fluid until I blew air through the line. Maybe what ever was blocking the fuel got caught in a jet in the carb. It would be nice if it just needs to be flashed but it was welding good. Maybe a little corrosion or dirty slip rings??
Glad you got one problem solved. To keep the carb clean, I'd change out the inline filter and replace the hose between the filter and carb. As said above, old fuel lines will release garbage internally...and it doesn't take much to gunk up a jet.
I did put a new filter and hose on. The hoses that came with the filter were too short to use both of them but the existing inlet hose (before the filter) was in decent condition. I have some new hose at my property and will change the inlet hose when I get a chance. I also want to put a shut off valve on the gas tank. It's kind of dumb someone took the original sediment bowl/fuel shut off off. The welder engine is running good now so the first priority is to get it welding. Then I'll clean up to get it ready to sell.
Im no welder repair guy,but we ran big 40 s on our camp welding trucks a lot. The only welding end failure i saw was the diodes .Especially when they just sudenly quit welding for no reason. They are right on the end and easy to change.
They are generally pretty reliable. I hope it's something simple like diodes. One of the guys at the repair shop thought the brushes might need to be changed if it was sitting for awhile.
A couple things. I have decades in small engines. You were most certainly not getting enough fuel. One thing that will continue to bite people is WATER! You go buy E10 fuel, but Ethanol is high hygroscopic! Meaning in a tanker with 70% humid air sloshing around, it's sucking up water, and water is heavier than the fuel. This sits at the bottom of the bowl and absolutely IS a lack of fuel, because it's trying to run on water! Fuel sampling is a big part of my madness! Always have a glass mason jar around. Other is actual blockage in a jet. Do NOT go changing carb settings! If it ran perfect before, it's NOT a setting issue! Always examine passages before the "cleaning" so you know where the issue is. I can't even tell you how many carbs I fixed that were "just cleaned" via DIY. Yes, you should have a filter without question, just before the carb!
It could have been a little water in the float bowl but I'm more inclined to think it was some deteriorated rubber or crap in the fuel line. When I first tried to start it it would only run on starting fluid for a few seconds. When I blew air through the fuel line to the carb after the filter it ran properly. At first anyway then it acted up again so I got a new filter. Still would only run on choke but ran good after draining some gas from the float bowl. I think some crap came out but could have been a couple water droplets.
Repair shop did an inspection and the no weld condition was due to bad diodes. All 6 of them! Updated Miller part number was $400/each!!! Old part number was $135 or $165/ea. I can't remember. I was still in shock at a $2500 repair bill! The guy even said the $400/ea. was ridiculous. They had a used parts machine with good diodes they'd sell for $500 so I went with that. Fan belt was cracking so they'll put on a new one. It was $50! The engine had a front seal leak but Continental is no longer. They don't do aftermarket but said if it's not used all the time to just check the oil. They also said the engine didn't rev. high enough but I told them it did weld good before the diodes blew. Maybe more crap in the float bowl? They'll be able to tell better once it's running with the working diodes. No rhyme or reason for diodes to go bad. Hopefully the used replacements last a long time. About $800 with labour to fix. I won't make much but should make a little profit if I sell it. $1300 into it and will try to get 17-$1800 for it. I want to keep the trailer for my SA200 but would sell it for the right price, $1500 or so. It's a nice compact tandem axle.
Post pics of the diodes. I'm deep in electronics and I find today's repair shops just aren't, they are parts changers. It's common for OEMs to put some stupid, proprietary feature in a part. On a diode pack, that would likely be easy enough to convert to off the shelf parts. Diodes are selected based on values and specs. Generally the new stuff would be far superior. Diodes don't typically just 'go bad', but they can take certain damage that shortens their life. Most common is over voltage, which smokes them instantly if high enough, then over current. Usually over current can be prevented with system CTs and alarms.
https://manuals.chudov.com/Miller/Miller-Big-40G-Gas-Engine-Driven-Welder-Manual.pdf If this is right, page 39, top of page is output stage. KMART simple system! 3 phase welding generator with multi tap secondary, which is your variable voltage. You can see all the rectifier diodes as D2-D7. It would be absolutely critical to probably just replace C2-C7 caps and VR1 as well. In a welding application, those caps can help protect the diodes from odd reverse voltage spikes. VR is varistor, that is also there to help as snubber to protect the diodes.
I'm with Fastline on this one. Diodes don't just fade, they die quickly because of something...usually heat from over-voltage causing over-current that fries them. I'm willing to bet dollars to donuts, when you lent out the welder, they cranked up the current which overloaded one diode (from a failed snubber or cap) that then cascaded the load on the other diodes....and then poof...there went the electric ghost. Should be easy to source aftermarket parts for a lot cheaper. On Page 55 of that manual, it shows two diode parts: 037 957 and 037 956. You need three of each to rectify the 6 halves of the 3-phase set up. I see those for sale on ebay for less then $50 each. Are they genuine? No idea but then again, it's just a diode...
I have my own theories, and much of it comes from coming in AFTER the "techs". If the 6 are ALL actually bad, that is rare, and losing one will not overload the others because as part of a 3 phase system, each diode pack is limited as a function of the generator. Willing to bet the generator is designed to reach full saturation before a diode blows up. Like when you weld your hot stick to the metal. What is maybe more likely is a high voltage event, like welding on something that has power. DC voltage can stack up when a series circuit is created. Who knows, but what I commonly see is the "replace them all" approach. I'm NOT saying that is bad in this case, but I would sure want my old parts back, even if bad. I always trying to do my best in failure analysis, to prevent future drama. Other is a total misunderstanding, in which a meter was used with all diodes and caps in circuit, one is bad, but others can 'read' bad in circuit. This is why you do both in circuit and discrete testing. As just an example, I hunt electrolytic capacitors like a bloodhound on gophers in circuit. I'm not looking for a specific value, but I know how the meter should respond.
I hear you that one bad diode shouldn't cause the others to fail but in a 3 phase system, when one diode goes bad, the other two on that half-wave side can still source/sink current to make up for the one lost one. The three phases overlap...unlike a single phase. But yes, I agree a good electrical design that has buffer in sizing components should be able to handle a single bad diode with ease. And yes I wholeheartedly agree, most modern "trouble shooters" can only read the troubleshooting checklist from the manufacturer. True electronic troubleshooting skills are rare these days. It's more of a guessing pluck-n-chuck method. It's definitely frustrating....
Pluck-n-chuck...... LMAO But why should I care, I've made some solid buys on equipment with electrical issues. However, tell me it was hit by lightning, but "it's minor", and I'm out! Or that Harold the hack already had a go but ran out of wire nuts.
The guys that borrowed the welder were running low amps welding some trailer axle brackets on overhead. The weldor even ran a bead before they headed out and said it welded really nice. Got everything tacked in place and the welder died part way through the first bead. The welder is a 1974 (HE prefix) so likely a little different than the one referenced but similar. The shop fixing it specializes in engine drives but can't warranty aftermarket parts. They said they've had issues with aftermarket parts in the past so won't use them. They probably had 30 engine drives in their shop and over 40 in the yard for parts. I'd guess a lot in the yard were too expensive to fix and the owner either didn't want it back or the shop paid a small amount for it for the parts. I've read when one diode goes bad the opposite one usually goes bad too. Apparently moisture, rust, overheating or just old age can kill diodes. The welder sat outside and was hardly used for 25 or 30 years. Hopefully the used diodes will last a long time. The engine runs great so I figured the welder is worth $800 in repairs. $2500+ not so much.
Sounds like I need to start buying broken welders and develop a diode module for them. Do it while sleep walking.
If you were close I'd have you take a look at it. I'd probably mess something up if I attempted to fix it myself.
exactly. stud diodes are common and only ~$10 bucks on average. the only thing proprietary about Miller's diodes is they have a cable on one side instead of the standard lug. that's what allows them to charge 10-50x their costs for each device. buy a standard lug diode with same specs and attach a short cable as needed. pffft. but yeah, I get it. Fastline and I are just knowledgeable in this area so we push back on the services provided by most electronic repair shops. Fastline and I treat electronic components like most folks treat nuts and bolts....we just buy what we need to get 'er done.
I'd be headed more in this direction, which is modern, not 1960s. $35, and I bet the diode performance is 10x those old turds. www.mccsemi.com/pdf/Products/MD250S08M5_MD250S18M5(M5).pdf
I guess Miller being one of the largest manufacturers of complex electronic (welding) equipment in the world is just trying to rip people off. Their parts are ridiculous but so are almost everybody else's. My expertise is primarily welding. I realize not everybody is competent at welding so I try to guide them when I can and try to explain the reasons why I suggest what I do. I also advise when it's best to hire an experienced welder. If they were close I might offer to fix it for them. If somebody pays more to get something welded but it's done right I don't try to make them feel bad because they couldn't do it themselves. If somebody doesn't listen and makes a big mess then I might suggest it would have been cheaper/better if they paid to have it done right. As far as the welder goes, I'm glad there was a lower cost option to get it working right. I wouldn't have paid $2500+. I would have tried to sell it for parts with a good running engine. I think I could get 17-$2000 for it working which would still give me a profit. If I sold it with the tandem axle trailer probably $1000 more.
There is certain value in an engine driven welder, and even the generator section. Not to mention for welding, you need a well regulated engine speed! So the engines are likely much larger than your typical POS generator. As for the actual welder electrics, IMO, the big names are now trying every gimmick in the book regarding special features, because the heart of an inverter welder can do nearly anything. Some people want to believe in their head the Miller welds better. The only thing I can tell you from the electrical engineering side is if I monitor and scope the output, I can either quantify the difference, or call BS. I will say Miller has been an industry leader for many decades. They should have it figured out! No disrespect there, and for pros, sometimes the support and parts side makes ALL the difference! I know I did a LOT of research on Everlast years ago, and pretty convinced that is some solid equipment and value. I also burned a LOT of wire on a friends Esab 350 MIG, and I still have no idea why, but that thing is silky smooth. Could be the gun, feed cable, oversize for my job so it's stable, I have no idea.
If the Esab was basically a newer Linde they are very nice Mig machines. Did it have inductance control? Most Linde's did and you could adjust the arc however you wanted it.
Dave, I'm going to get a bit long-winded here, not to disagree with you, but to explain what I've seen when it comes to the price of electronic repair parts so folks don't think they're getting ripped off per se. It's easy to think Miller is trying to rip people off but I also think Miller has to cover costs (and still make profit) when stocking one-off, custom parts made many, many years ago. Since yours had the Continental gas engine, I assume it's 1970's machine so maybe one of the original designs? I'm sure Miller went through iterations and "upgraded" bits and pieces that probably included the diodes so the "correct" diodes may be fairly rare stockage. As I said before, stud diodes are pretty common but when you add the pigtail as a custom detail, it changes the equation significantly. Think back 50 years on this. For a custom diode used on a manufacturing line (i.e. when Miller was actively making/selling the Big 40), Miller would ask a manufacturer to do a run of 80k or so pieces (to make 10k Big 40s plus have another 20k diodes in stock as repair parts, etc.). In addition to setting up the custom line (some custom dies, jigs, etc.), this would include some testing and verification of parts to ensure the 80k worth of parts were meeting spec. The price per custom diode is probably just slightly more expensive than the regular diodes but Miller rightly believes the slight increase in price is justified because it reduces the cost for assembly. To buy the diodes, Miller has to pay cash. Fast forward 20-30 years when that stash of repair diodes is used up and Miller wants another 30k of those diodes to keep those original, old Big 40s running. What are the odds that original electronics manufacturer hasn't moved operations from the US (or more likely Japan) to China? Are those custom dies still available? Setting up a new line and validating it adds up in costs per part....and Miller again has to pay cash for those diodes knowing they will mostly sit in inventory and trickle down over the next 10-20 years at best. So when the guy in charge of telling Miller when to buy/stock 30k custom diodes that costs Miller $20-30 bucks a piece to make (probably a cool $1M for 30k batch after testing, packaging, shipping, tariffs, etc.), he has to justify to the bean counters why spending $1M of cash today will be profitable for the next 10-20 years instead of putting it in the stock market that will probably generate 3-5x in returns. So the Miller bean counters tell the Repair Parts guy to sell those diodes at 10-20x, or even 50x the manufacturing price to ensure the original investment of $1M is paid back fast. Does the Miller repair parts guy, or even the bean counters, like this math? Probably not but it's also reality. Now think about this conversation happening for each of the hundreds, if not the thousands, of custom electric bits and pieces Miller's used building all those different models and size of pretty blue spark machines. It's not an easy equation to figure out so the bean counters want to recoup their money fast to avoid risk. For example, what if all those those big 40's get outlawed because of some new emission regulation banning 30+ year old equipment or if there's a new electrical hazard requirement that suddenly makes them "dangerous". Yeah, bean counters are skittish people with their money books so they over compensate with high prices where possible. Anyway, the point of this long-winded explanation is to show that a guy like Fastline can come in with a better solution for those custom repair diodes using current off-the-shelf parts at a LOT cheaper than Miller ever could. For one, he's just using mass produced parts that have the same specs. Second, he's not doing a lot of testing, marketing, and warranty on those parts so his costs are low. And lastly, he's not having to buy truckloads of diodes at a time, he's just buying standard parts at standard costs when he needs them. And now Fastline just sets up his Tik-tok, Facebook, eBay, Youtube, Amazon, etc. advertising and store fronts for dirt cheap compared to Miller having to use their own expensive brick and mortar warehouses and computer tracking systems. So while Miller has to charge high prices to even provide those parts for sale, Fastline can come in way lower with a different solution. It appears Miller is trying to rip us off compared to Fastline...but maybe it's also because Miller has to charge those prices just to stay alive. I'm not trying to justify a business ripping off customers, I'm just explaining some of the internal discussions I've dealt with in my many years of making computer chips in a previous life. Speaking of making profit, I gotta get busy on my side making real profit as sitting here banging on the keyboard isn't doing it
I will just inject my spin because, as I mentioned, not my first rodeo. Most people have neither the experience or desire to DIY much in the electronics side, welders are no exception. This means gear is going to go to a repair facility, if not thrown away. You can't order your repair on Amazon! I have personally been a pro wrench so I fully understand warranty stuff! It hurts more than your pocket book, it strains a relationship, and it calls the tech's competence into question, when it may have nothing to do with the labor side. This is why you want vetted parts, not guess work. Then, me being in business, I can assure you I am totally KIDDING about selling update gear for those. Why? Those welders are old, people don't want to spend a dime, let alone $100, and Dave said himself the repair joint has countless units that customers just left. I would never even recover the hassle in building an ecommerce website, let alone the countless contacts for customer service to teach people how to do the 'update'. Sometimes I go down a rabbit hole just to prove a point, not that it makes any rational sense! Case and point, my RV water pump stopped working. I realized the micro switch inside was doing its clicky thing as it should, but meter testing was a fail. I dug the actual switch out of the assembly, I was in luck, it was a standard Omron switch. Ordered 2 for $10. New pump is $200. 99% of people would NOT go through this hassle even if I sold them the part! It's pretty technical work to get to the switch, and then I had to tune the pressure relief!
The diodes went up about 2 1/2 times in price with a new part number. Maybe they are an improved diode common on newer machines. I don't know but even the shop thought they were way too expensive. I'm sure Miller could source cheaper diodes if they wanted to. Miller Big 40's were made for decades and there's a lot of them out there. I'm sure they've had upgrades but are still basically the same design. Not as many as Lincoln SA200's but still a very popular welder. The shop I took it to keeps parts machines because they have have a really good business working on older Miller and Lincoln engine drives. They likely bought some of them. They have about 30 machines waiting for repairs in the shop and I'm sure some are waiting for parts that might come from a dead machine that comes in that isn't worth fixing. They try to keep the older machines running rather than scrapping them. Not unlike some older heavy equipment. I'm glad they had another welder for parts. Especially with older SA200's people collect them and will pay big bucks to restore them and customize them to better than new. It's not unusual for people to have 5 or more of them. Even dead seized machines can bring $1000 or more. There are shops that specialize in rebuilding and restoring them. Big 40's don't have the cult following of SA200's but are still worth trying to keep going especially when considering the price of new welders. Some people do restore them though. I wish I was close to you guys and you could find less expensive diodes and repair the welder but I'm not. Alternately I wish I could find someone close that could find cheaper diodes. I don't think it does anybody any good telling someone they paid too much to have something repaired/done that was out of their wheelhouse and they could have done it for much less, especially after the fact. What exactly is the point of that?
Seem like a few folks on ebay have already matched the Miller diode specs to regular available diodes. If you're okay with simple unscrew, clean contact areas with scotchbrite, apply a little electrical conductive grease like Alnox, then do it yourself. In Fastline's previous posting of the parts manual (if that's the correct one), on pages 50-51, it shows item 5 as 037 957 . . . . DIODE, rect 275A 300V RP Here's an ebay link for $47 each https://www.ebay.com/itm/2338666625...tSIEBzCkpz3n8yM-SYzXBfzdgQ0zERo0aAmv9EALw_wcB Here's another surplus(??) company link for $33 each https://www.radwell.com/Buy/MILLER ELECTRIC/MILLER ELECTRIC/037-957?_gl=1*12z3kur*_up*MQ..*_gs*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjwr4jSBhCSARIsAOX1E-J8kqs-I2yeteaJQ1wCiku0gYz1h57UoXlCAeYByQUOmW4jErrKASIaAhLJEALw_wcB&gbraid=0AAAAADHiFo_V5Z4nA7WMBTb8VTN3gVaTG and for the other diode listed as item 27 as 037 956 . . . . DIODE, rect 275A 300V SP Here's and ebay link for $45 each. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1335607548...hR437LV1aeD-7rqQfLkiElAfNQMJ3SohRbqJ30gBxvw8w Radwell doesn't have any of these in stock.
All sorts of answers. The reality is Miller is having those diodes made for $2-3 each. You really have to realize the full business circle. Part of that price gouging is incentive to walk away and buy new, BUT the parts are still available, which makes people smile. That's why CAT and Deere rule in some heavy sectors. You wanted it fixed, it got fixed, it's life. Sorry if I offended, I just noticed the diode thing and I also realize we can't all know what certain parts 'should' cost. I just wanted to know more. My idea of a module upgrade probably would NOT sit well with dealers, techs, or even owners, because you then bastardize the rig! I too see guys slicking them out, and probably want that original look. All you can do it run it!
It's fixed and they load tested it and it's putting out what it's supposed to. $500 for a used parts machine with good diodes and some other parts I can use and about an hour and a half labour to get the welder running. Their shop rate is quite a bit lower than other shops at $125/hr. Most other shops are $150 to $180/hr. Should be able to make at least $600 profit on just the welder and $1000-$1200 more if I sell it with the trailer. Not sure if I want the trailer or not. I guess I could sell it if I got the right price. Main thing is it was worth fixing with the used diodes.
That's good news! Their shop rate is pretty low and it sounds like you found the right shop to work with on your welder. Finding the right shop is a huge win when repairing older equipment. Hope all works out for you.
Like I mentioned the shop is known as the engine drive welder specialists. It's hard to see a welder more than a few years old that doesn't have their sticker on it.
I know my personality can come off as arrogant online, but it's easy for me to armchair repair work....lol It sounds like you're working with pros that know that equipment, and know what parts are working for them. I was more or less questioning the super old school design, and sometimes the juice ain't worth the squeeze. Here is one of my own "here's your sign" moments. I bought a hydraulic cylinder rebuilt kit for my big excavator. I had a hydro shop do the work, and I only took them the rod. What pisses me off is all these kits with all sorts of prices, but no one tells you what brand of seals. Rebuild went fine but like 2 mo down the road, with only like 2 hours on that cylinder, I noticed it weeping, not even running. I was frustrated because not a single cylinder I've personally built ever gave me problems. I didn't attack the shop but I was worried they did something wrong, will then blame the equipment, and cost me huge. This is why I like doing my own. Anyway, a very respectable shop, they told me to just bring them the entire cylinder and they would figure it out. they said the aftermarket seals were crap, installed quality seals, and just charged me for the seals, no labor. I am NOT giving them props because they ate the labor, they realized I had to eat **** too. We all lost because I did something stupid, NOT them! I will say what the "tech" called "feel this", was actually a quantifiable durometer difference in seal stiffness. Something I feel an experienced shop should have caught at assembly, BUT it was my own error and they installed my parts as agreed. And I say all that because this is how a shop can go broke.......playing with aftermarket parts that don't work right. I will say, in most hydro cylinders, I actually disassemble, measure, spec, then order specific parts. It costs me! But my goal is to upgrade because cylinders are usually old and there are better seals, like the X ring loaded U cups.
That's why the shop I took the welder to doesn't use aftermarket parts. They had issues with aftermarket and can't warranty them. I'm sure some aftermarket are very good quality though. The front seal on the engine leaks a little and OEM Continental parts aren't available anymore. They agreed with me if the welder isn't used all the time to just keep some oil on hand and check the level. I'll just say it must have some Detroit DNA in it. Adding a little oil every 20 hours or so isn't a big deal. I'll clean it up and see if the leak is very noticeable. If it is I know there are aftermarket seal kits available.
That's pretty much what bit me Dave. Aftermarket "KIT". They get all the sizes, then go find the cheapest parts available to sell in a "kit". IMO, you will be much better served to get data off the seal or measure, and get a quality seal. Brands like SKF, NSN, Timken are a no brainer.
There's a couple very reputable welder repair shops that offer seals for Continental F163's. I'd contact them to see what the best option was.
I picked up the welder today so have an update. It turns out only 3 diodes were bad but they took all 6 from the parts machine and I have 3 spares they took off that tested good. Meth heads cut most of copper out of the parts machine as well as took the rad. but it does have some good spare parts. It has the proper sediment bowl and fuel lines, alternator and ignition parts, vacuum pot for idler, decent hood I may switch and I noticed it also has the bolt on quick connects for welding cable. Those are $15-20/ea. new. I think the engine got water in the exhaust because the muffler was straight up with no cap. Front seal on engine is not bad enough to list as moderate. They said it just weeps a little so not a big deal. Front motor mount is listed as it might have slight damage or just covered in oil. Obviously can't have been too bad because they never said much about it. As far as the diodes they said they can just go from age. Not much you can do to make them last longer. Might be good to use the welder occassionally instead of letting it sit for long periods. They listed what parts and other service would cost if it was required. One new diode from Miller is $466.59. The other one is $423.46. The part numbers were superseded but they listed the old part number and price for the 2nd diode and it was only $125.89. They reiterated that that is a totally ridiculous price going up 3 times in cost! My machine was stored in their other bay. They must have over 60 engine drives in their shop. They have pallet racking with machines on the first shelf and other machines under them. Then they had 2 rows of machines in front of those. The other bay has pallet racking with machines sitting above others but not many sitting in front because that's the bay they bring them in to work on. The front of that bay is the work area where they put the welders on saw horses so they're easier to work on. They had a huge Miller Air Pack with the sides off. Just a mass of wires and electronics. I'd bet they've probably worked on well over 10,000 engine drives. They didn't have as many in the graveyard as I thought. Mostly Lincolns and a stack of about 8 or so hoods. People are still restoring old Lincolns.